


The Right Time

by bjfic_archivist



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Canon, Drama, No Slash, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-08-19
Updated: 2003-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-27 12:57:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12081507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bjfic_archivist/pseuds/bjfic_archivist
Summary: Post episode #220.  Brian and Justin have to learn to be friends before they can be lovers again.





	The Right Time

**Author's Note:**

> Note from IrishCaelan, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Brian_Justin_Fanfiction_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in September 2017. I posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/bjfic/profile).

“Good morning, Justin!” Lindsay chirped when she saw Justin emerging from sleep on the couch in her living room.

“Morning.” Justin groaned, as his whole body screamed out at him with pain from the stiffness in his back from the uncomfortable position in which he slept.

“How’d you sleep?”

“Not bad.” Justin stood up and stretched. “Thanks again for letting me crash here.” The young college student loved waking up in the Peterson-Marcus home. There was always fresh coffee and cinnamon rolls, conversation was never tense, and he felt free to say what he was feeling. 

“Anytime, Sweetie.” Lindsay walked over to Justin and laid a hand on his shoulder and leaned her forehead against his. “And you don’t have to tell us what happened with Ethan until you’re ready, ok?”

“Thanks, Linds.” Justin kissed her cheek. “Maybe you and I could talk alone after breakfast?”

“Of course.” Lindsay went back to the table as Melanie and Gus made their way down the stairs. Gus had become such a little man, walking confidently and babbling to his “Mumby” as he descended the stairs.

“Morning, Justin.” Melanie said with a smile.

“Morning, Mel. Morning, Gus.”

“Morning, Jusjus.” Gus ran over to him and jumped into his arms. “Play?”

“Later, honey.” Lindsay said in a singsong voice. “Time for breakfast now.”

***

“Brian?” Michael called as he looked around the loft. It appeared to be empty. “Brian! This isn’t funny.” Michaeal looked at his watch and confirmed that it was indeed 8am on Sunday morning and Brian wasn’t home. He was about to call 911 when Brian entered the loft looking sweaty in a pair of cotton shorts and a tight tank top.

“Morning, Michael.” Brian said breathlessly.

“Where the fuck were you?” Michael demanded.

“Running.” He replied as he grabbed two bottles of water drinking all of one and half of the other in less than a minute. “Forgot how nice it is to run first thing in the morning.”

“Where is all this coming from?” 

“All what?” Brian asked with genuine confusion.

“Normally at 8 o’clock on Sunday morning you would be nursing a hang over, telling me to fuck breakfast, fuck coffee, and just generally fuck off.” Michael was pacing and Brian was ready to tell him just that.

“Lemme get this straight.” Brian paused a moment for effect. “You’re upset that I’m not still in bed, feeling like there’s a herd of elephants directly on top of my head? You’re upset that I was instead out for a morning jog in the park?”

“Is this about Justin?”

“What?” Brian whirled around the face Michael, a look a fury on his face.

“Well, is it?” Michael seemed just as angry. “Ever since he left you’ve been a fucking fall down mess. You’ve been working long hours and then going directly to Woody’s to get smashed! You’ve probably spent half of what you’ve earned working those long hours on drugs!”

“And when the fuck did what I put in my system and how I spend the money I earn become your business, Michael?” Brian’s eyes were blazing.

“Since forever! I’m your best friend and I don’t like what I’ve been seeing you do to yourself.” Michael began pacing with even more fervor.

“I went for a fucking run!” Brian slammed the water bottle onto the counter. “Get the fuck out, Michael. I don’t need this shit anymore! Do you think I haven’t gotten the lecture from everyone else? Do you think I don’t still get blamed for Justin leaving?”

“That’s because it’s your own fucking fault!” With that said, Michael turned on his heel and walked out of the loft angrily.

“Fuck!” Brian picked the water bottle back up and threw it hard against the wall, sending the remaining water splashing to the floor.

***

Justin and Lindsay sat in the sunroom, cups of tea in front of them, watching as Melanie pushed Gus on a swing in the back yard. “So I guess I should start from the beginning?”

“Sure.” Lindsay was trying her hardest not to push for information. Unlike with Brian, it was best not to push Justin or else he would pull back.

“Well, you know that Ethan has a lot of pressure. To be an amazing violin player you have to practice a lot!” Justin took a deep breath. “From the outside, he looks like this really normal guy, at least as normal as a starving artist can get I guess. But he’s not.”

“Take your time, Sweetheart.”

“He makes a lot more money than he lets on when he plays on the street. He clears out his violin case every hour or so, and from what I can tell he makes a few hundred dollars a day.” Justin took a deep breath. “He puts most of that money up his nose.”

“Cocaine?” Lindsay asked. Justin nodded. “Oh my…”

“I never knew about it until I moved in there. He kept it well hidden how much he did it even while I was living there. At first, that is. I thought it was really great that he didn’t drink and I just assumed he didn’t do drugs either. When I found out how much money he spends on his habit, I freaked. We got into a huge argument and he hit me.”

“He hit you?”

“He didn’t hurt me. It was just a slap.” Justin knew that he sounded like he was defending the violence so he continued immediately. “He was really apologetic after, he said that he was sorry and he would never do it again. I thought about it for a full 24 hours and then I walked out. Even once is too many times. Brian taught me that.”

By now, Justin was crying and Lindsay rounded the table to pull him into her arms. She knew what it was like to have an abusive partner, she’d had one herself. “Shh, sweetie, you did the right thing.”

“I should have done the right thing six months ago and chosen Brian.” Justin sobbed. Once he had calmed down and he and Lindsay were back in their own chairs, Lindsay spoke.

“Don’t make this about Brian, Justin.” She said. “This is about you. You’re stronger because of this, I know you are. I was.”

“What?” Justin asked.

“I was in a very similar situation. You’d be surprised at just how similar it was.” Lindsay saw the curiosity in Justin’s sad eyes and decided to tell him the story. “It was in our junior year of college, when Brian and I were dating.”

“Dating?” The young man made a face.

“Yes. I guess Brian never told you that he and I tried the straight thing for a few months.” Lindsay giggled. “We did. And this is when we were. He took me to an art exhibit and that’s where I met her. Her name was Pam. She was beautiful. She was petite like a dancer and she had this mass of curly red hair and beautiful green eyes. It was Pam’s exhibit we were at.”

“What happened?”

“After seeing Pam casually for a while, I realized that she gave me something that Brian didn’t and I broke up with him. I let… I let it go on a lot longer than you did. She hit me the first time not long after we starting a physical relationship.”

“How long did it go on?” Justin asked, leaning in close.

“8 months. When Brian found out what was going on, he came and dragged me out of her place, threatening to have her arrested if she came near me again. I was furious with him. Then I realized how stupid I had been.”

“So we both went from Brian to people who hurt us.” Justin said quietly. 

“And regretted it once we left.” Lindsay finished.

“But you’re a lesbian.”

“Brian is a attractive to men and women, straight and gay. It doesn’t really matter with him.” Lindsay laughed. “Besides, I didn’t regret it for long. I dated a few different girls and then a couple of years later I met Mel.”

“Linds, do you think if I talked to him…”

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea right now.” Lindsay said. “I don’t think that either of you are ready for that.”

“How is he? I always wonder but I never ask.” He admitted.

“Brian is being Brian.” Lindsay said with a shake of her head. “The drugs, the clubs, the tricks…”

“I figured.” Justin nodded. “Listen, I’m going to go shower and get dressed and then me and my mom are going apartment hunting.”

“Can you afford to live on your own?”

“Yeah. Last month my father deposited 40,000 dollars into an education account for me.” Justin explained. “My mother and he have apparently been discussing it for a while when dad got a huge bonus from work. Last month they settled on an amount and now I can afford tuition and living expenses.”

“Well, good luck with the hunt then.” The woman smiled and went outside to join her lover and their son in the yard.

***

~BANG! BANG!~

“What the fuck?” Brian grumbled as he made his way to the door. He saw a very distraught looking Debbie standing on the other side. “Can I help you?”

“Is he here?”

“Michael? No, he was here this morning, but he left.” Brian wasn’t in any mood to deal with one of Debbie’s tongue lashings.

“I’m not talking about Michael. I’m talking about Justin. Is he here?”

“Uh, Deb, Justin moved out six months ago.” Brian was confused and none too happy with both of the Novotny’s bringing up his former lover in one day.

“I went to Ethan’s to take him some lasagna and apparently they broke up. Ethan told me to fuck off. He also told me to look for Justin here.” Debbie looked frantic. “He didn’t come to me, he didn’t go to Michael and Emmett’s, and he didn’t come here, where the fuck did he go?”

“To Mrs. Taylor’s?” Brian suggested. “His mommy?”

“That’s the last place he would go!” Debbie exclaimed.

“How about the mother’s of my child?” Brian was getting irritated and wanted to finish this guessing game with Debbie and get rid of her.

“Haven’t tried there.” Debbie said. “If he comes here, will you tell him to call me?”

“He won’t.” Brian said slamming the door. “What a fucking day.” He grumbled as he picked up his book and resumed reading.

***

“This is the one.” Justin said with a huge smile on his face as he and his mother stood in a beautiful one-bedroom apartment.

“Are you sure, honey?” Jennifer looked around skeptically. “It’s a lot smaller than the last one we looked at.”

“But it’s cleaner and closer to school. The other place was so boring. This place has character.” Justin ran his hand over the dark wood window frame. The floors of the apartment were brand new hardwood and the walls were freshly painted.

“Well, it does have a good size living room and the kitchen is new.” Jennifer was beginning to cave in. She’d had her heart set on the last apartment because it was only a few blocks from her condo.

“I’ll take it.” Justin said to the landlord. He was told that he could move in on the first of the month, which was only three days later. “Thank you, sir.” Justin said with a big smile as he looked around the place he would be able to call home in a few short days.

***

~One Week Later~

“So, what do you guys think?” Justin asked showing off his apartment to Lindsay, Melanie, Emmett, and Ted.

“It’s great, Justin.” Melanie said.

“Just the kind of place I had hoped to see you in.” Lindsay agreed.

“Do you have an alarm system?” Ted asked. Justin chuckled, even as a porn king,Ted was still the practical one.

“My mom is having one installed.” 

“Is all this furniture new?” Emmett asked.

“Yeah. Me and mom went shopping. She figured that instead of having to come over and sit on the floor and see that my furniture consisted of a mattress on the floor, she’d give me an early Christmas present.” 

Justin loved how his place looked now that he was completely moved in. His living room was also going to be his study/art area. A desk with his computer on it was in the corner and a big drafting table was next to it. On the other side of the room there was a big black overstuffed couch and a grey armchair. Across from them was a 19” television and VCR as well as his Playstation.

“I still have to put some stuff on the walls, but I figure my art will be perfect for that.” Justin smiled a megawatt smile and they continued on the tour. “This is my bedroom.”

“Whoa! I love your bed!” Emmett said running over to the big cushy bed. 

“The frame is actually from the guestroom in our old house, but the mattresses are new.” Justin said. He loved his bed more than anything else in the apartment. The frame was a heavy, rustic looking wood carved and beautifully shaped. Covering it, he had a thick black duvet and several red throw pillows.

“How did your mom afford this?”

“Actually, I bought a lot of it while I was living with Ethan. My mom just bought the big things. My job at the restaurant pays pretty well and I could afford to pick up a few household items every paycheck.” Justin smiled. “I have the most awesome dishes and pots and pans.”

Moving on to the kitchen, everyone was suitably impressed. The cupboards with filled with everything Justin would need to whip up one of his mom’s or Debbie’s recipes. “Did Mommy buy your groceries too?” Emmett asked with a chuckle seeing that his refrigerator and freezer were completely packed.

“She insisted.” Justin rolled his eyes.

“This place is definitely awesome, Justin.” Emmett said. “I think I’ll be visiting often.”

“Just call first.” Justin laughed.

***

Brian looked at the clock, he still had twenty minutes left of his workout. He had been training for just over a week and was feeling better than he had in years. Having stopping drinking and taking drugs helped in itself, but the change in eating habits and exercise was also helping immensely.

His trainer, Nina, was pushing him to quit smoking as well, but he knew that if he did that he would probably give up on the whole thing just to have a cigarette. He looked over at the stack of books on the kitchen table and chuckled. His friends would never believe it.

Brian’s smile faded when he thought back to what had happened to make him decide that a change of lifestyle was in order...

 

Wednesday. I never party this hard on Wednesday, Brian thought to himself as he pressed himself against his dance partner and popped yet another little pill into his mouth. He had lost count of how many of those little pills he had popped into his mouth since arriving at Babylon some hours earlier. 

He vaguely remembered Michael, Emmett, and Ted leaving earlier, but the time in between the time they left and when he actually acknowledged that his friends were no longer in the club was a little hazy.

“What do you say we get out of here?” His dance partner asked smoothly.

Doesn’t he know that I make the move? Brian thought before pushing the wannabe trick away and fading back into the crowd to find someone else who wanted to dance with him. Justin always liked dance with me… It was always me who wanted to go back to the loft and fuck. Brian pushed the thoughts of Justin away as quickly as they had come.

Next thing he knew, Brian was waking up in a puddle of his own vomit, the smell enough to make him vomit again, in the middle of an alley not far from Babylon. His Jeep was scraped along the side and was parked sideways about ten feet away from where he was laying.

I drove. I drove when I was that fucked up. This shit has got to stop.

***

That was that. That very moment, Brian decided that it was time to be a grown up. He gave up the drinking and the drugs, he had even resolved to cut the number of guy he fucked down considerably, and never looked back.

* * *

Justin walked into the diner for the first time in months. Michael had called him the previous night, threatening vandalism and violence if Debbie didn’t get a visit from him soon. Apparently, Debbie was more than just a little worried about her Sunshine.

“Mornin’, Deb.” He said with a smile.

“Sunshine!” Debbie exclaimed, causing every head in the diner, including Brian Kinney’s, to turn towards Justin. “I’ve been worried about you, you little shit.”

“Sorry, Deb. I would have called, but I’ve been so busy with the move and stuff.” Justin opened his arms to her for a hug and she smiled, embracring him tightly.

“Well, go sit with the boys and I’ll bring you some breakfast. Have you been eating right? You look a little skinny.” Debbie shook her head and continued muttering all the way to the kitchen.

“Hi, guys.” Justin smiled, walking up to “the boys” in their usual booth. He cautiously avoided Brian’s eyes as he slid into the booth next to Emmett.

“Hey, Sweetie. I’m so glad you came here. The last few months haven't been the same without our little sunshine around.” Emmett kissed Justin’s temple and threw an arm around him.

“Thanks, Em.” Justin grinned, still avoiding Brian’s eyes. “So, Michael, when are you going to have the copy for the next issue?” The first 3 issues of Rage were selling like hotcakes, and both young men were excited to put out a fourth issue.

“I should be done in a couple of days. I’ll drop it by your apartment. Everyone tells me it’s amazing.” Michael’s initial discomfort at sitting at a table with both Justin and Brian quickly faded at the mention of the comic book.

“You moved into your own place?” Brian asked, breaking his own silence. Justin finally shifted his eyes over to where Brian sat.

“Yah. I moved last week.” Justin nodded, wanting to say more, but feeling it was inappropriate. This was the first time the two had spoken since Justin had chosen Ethan.

“How are you liking it?”

“I love it there. It’s really nice to be able to do my own thing again.” Justin was referring to the constant attention that Ethan had demanded when they were living together.

“That’s good.” Brian said with a genuine smile. Justin looked at his former lover closely and could tell that something was different. Brian’s skin held more color than before and he didn’t look tired.

“You could, uh, come over and see my new place sometime.” Justin invited.

“Sure. Ummm… I’ll call you.” Brian felt a little uncomfortable, but wanted more than anything to have Justin as a part of his life again, so he tried to hide it.

“Yah.” Justin nodded.

“I should get to work.” Brian said. “See you guys later.” With that, he was gone.

***

Justin was sitting at his kitchen table paging through his Art History book when there was a knock at his door. He stood, ran his fingers through his hair and made his way to the door. On the other side, Lindsay was standing there with a paper bag in her hand and a tray containing two cups of tea. She had offered to help him mat and frame some of his art for around his apartment.

“Morning!” Lindsay said cheerfully.

“Hey, Linds.” Justin smiled and gestured for her to come in. “I thought you would be bringing Gus.”

“I figured I should leave him with Mel. I wouldn’t want him to ruin any of your art.” Lindsay kicked off her shoes and walked into the kitchen. Ever since Justin had left Ethan, Lindsay had become his primary support system. They didn’t often talk about what happened with Ethan, but instead just spent time together talking about art or whatever else came to their minds.

“He does tend to be a bit of a little demolisher, doesn’t he?” Justin chuckled and sat down at the table across from where Lindsay sat,

“I brought some mats and a couple of really nice frames that I found at a garage sale, but I left them in the car. I figured we could enjoy our tea and breakfast first.” Lindsay smiled and Justin felt his heart warm. He was certain that if he were straight, he would want a woman just like Linds.

“Sounds great!” Justin grabbed a muffin out of the bag and took a bite. “I picked out the pieces I want to hang in here so it shouldn’t take too long to get them all matted and framed. I can hang them later tonight.” He said as he chomped on the muffin.

“How are you liking living here?” Lindsay asked before taking a sip of her green tea. 

“I love it.” Justin said enthusiastically. “It’s weird to finally be actually living on my own. No parents or boyfriend or Deb to take care of me.”

“Speaking of Deb, she called me this morning, I guess someone told her I was coming over, and she told me to threaten you with physical violence if you don’t invite her a Vic over for dinner soon.”

Justin laughed. “She always sends someone else to threaten me. I’ve been meaning to invite them over, but with all my final projects for this semester due next week, I haven’t really had time.” Justin shook his head. “And people think artists are lazy.”

Lindsay chuckled and they continued chatting. An hour later, their cups of tea empty, Justin and Lindsay decided to run down to the car and get the mats and frames. 

***

“Mikey, I’m not in the mood for another lecture.” Brian said firmly as he took shots at the punching bag that hung in the corner of the loft. 

“I’m just trying to understand why you can’t come out with me and the boys anymore.” Michael whined.

“I’ll come out with you guys in a few months. I told you that. I just can’t right now.” Brian took a harder shot at the punching bag to try and release some of the aggravation that Michael was causing.

“A few months!” Michael whined. Brian was noticing that since he had stopped clubbing and drugging, Michael had been making a lot of trips to the loft to bitch and moan.

“Yes.” His best friend said through clenched teeth. “A few months.”

“You used to come out every night.”

“I can’t anymore.” Brian’s movements became swifter as he fought to keep the rage he was feeling inside himself.

“Well, why not?” Michael demanded. “What the hell is wrong with you that you don’t want to spend time with your friends anymore?”

**SNAP**

Brian’s composure broke and his anger erupted. “What’s wrong with me!? What’s wrong with me?? Maybe it’s you guys that are wrong with me! Ever think of that? Ever think that maybe I want to grow up and do more than party and fuck around? Ever think that maybe I don’t want to act like a fucking child anymore?” 

Michael was cowering now, afraid that he had pushed Brian too far.

“No, you wouldn’t think that, would you? Because you are stuck in Jr. fucking High school and you don’t realize that life is more than boys and comic books!” Brian shoved the punching bag away from his chest and stalked into the bedroom. “Get the fuck out, Mikey!” He spat without turning around.

Michael obeyed.

***

Lindsay closed her eyes and reveled in the feeling of Melanie’s fingers on her scalp as she spoke. “I don’t know what happened, but I could swear it’s a miracle.”

“What is?”

“Brian is cleaning up his act. No more drugs. No more booze. And far less tricks.” Melanie snorted. 

“He can give up the booze and drugs but only cut down on the men.” As she thought about it, she began to laugh even harder. “How very Brianesque!”

“He’s really trying. He’s even stopped going out to the clubs with the boys.” Lindsay smiled to herself. “And Justin is really taking hold of his life and making decisions based entirely on his own needs and wants. He’s not doing it for anyone else anymore.”

“Well, it’s about fucking time that happened.”

“They needed to break up to grow up.”

“I guess it was never meant to be.” Melanie hated always discussing Brian and his relationships. She wanted to talk about their own relationship, but she kept quiet and spoke when she saw fit.

“I disagree.” Lindsay tilted her head and looked up at Mel. “I think they’re just waiting for the right time. Obviously when they met it wasn’t the right time. Brian was still in his Peter Pan mindset and Justin was still in high school. And when they moved in together, it was an even worse time. Both of them were dealing with feelings of inadequacy and both wanted more from the other than they were willing to give.”

“You’ve really thought about this.” Melanie shook her head in surprise.

“I really have.” Lindsay smiled. “I want to see them together. And I think both of them want to be together. I think that’s the reason for all the maturing that’s going on.”

“Can you believe it? Babylon’s former super-couple is growing up and settling down.” Melanie laughed.

“Well, not yet. But I can almost guarantee that at this time next year, those two will on the right track. All they need to do is actually talk to each other.” Lindsay grinned before softly kissing her wife. “Now let’s stop talking about them and talk about something more important. Like us.”

Melanie grinned and kissed Lindsay more passionately. Now you’re talking, she thought to herself.

***

Justin sat nervously on his couch staring at the TV, but not really registering what he was watching. A half hour earlier, Brian had called and asked if it was a good time to come over and see Justin’s new digs. Justin, of course, said yes and was now waiting for Brian’s arrival. He was more nervous than he could ever remember being.

He and Brian hadn’t really talked or been alone since the day of the Rage party. His leaving with Ethan had changed their relationship for good. After, he had collected his things and he and Brian had avoided speaking to each other until the other morning in the diner.

**Knock, Knock**

Justin quickly looked at his appearance in the mirror before opening the door. On the other side, Brian stood with a smile on his face and a gift bag in his hand. “Howdy!”

“Howdy???” Justin raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, Howdy.” Brian winked. “Can I come in?”

“Oh, yah!” Justin tried to shake himself out of his frazzled state as Brian stepped into the room and slipped his boots off. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Sure. I’d love some coffee.” Brian followed Justin into the kitchen and was impressed. He’d been expecting the place to look like an average college student’s apartment. He’d expected to see pizza boxes piled up and dirty dishes all over the place. Instead, though, he found the place clean and neat. “This is a cool place.”

“While the coffee is brewing, I’ll show you around.”

“Wait a sec. I got you a housewarming gift.” Justin was surprised by Brian’s thoughtfulness and smiled appreciatively. Brian held out the bag and Justin looked inside.

“Oh, Brian! This is great!” He exclaimed. He found that Brian had been even more thoughtful than he had originally thought when he saw the small George Foreman grill.

“Well, I knew you liked to use mine all the time.” Brian smiled reminiscently. “I recall you made some pretty great low fat meals.”

“This is awesome, Brian!” Justin put down the bag containing the grill and wrapped his arms around Brian. The embrace was filled with longing, but they ended it as if were the most common, platonic hug in the world.

“You’re welcome.” Brian was pleased that Justin liked his gift.

“Black with sugar?” Justin asked once the coffee was ready, breaking the silence that he and Brian sat in as it brewed.

“You know me too well.” Brian chuckled. 

After the coffee was on a tray, Justin led Brian into the living room so they could talk. He took a seat in the arm chair and Brian sat on the couch. “Here you go.” Justin said with a smile handing Brian his coffee.

“Thank you.” Brian accepted. For several minutes there was awkward silence as the two searched for something to say. Suddenly Justin laughed. “What’s funny?”

“This is just so ridiculous. We’re sitting here completely silent. It’s like we’re on a first date or something.” Justin explained. Brian laughed as well.

“Well, it we were on a first date it would be a damn weird time for it, considering the history.” He added.

For the next two hours, the two men lost themselves in conversation. Justin talked about all of his projects at school. Being in his second year was double the work of the first. Brian talked about work and especially a new campaign he was working on that he thought Justin would be interested in. When they fell into an awkward silence, Brian revealed his change of lifestyle.

“I quit drinking and going to clubs.” He said in hopes that Justin would be proud of him. He wasn’t sure why Justin’s approval meant so much, but it did. Maybe it was because, other than Lindsay, Justin was really the only person in his life who would understand why he was doing it.

“When did that happen?” Justin asked, surprised.

“Couple of weeks ago, I guess.” Brian shrugged. “Mikey is none too happy with me right now.” He chuckled thinking of Michael’s tantrum.

Justin laughed. “He misses his best friend.”

“We can still hang out. It wasn’t like we were doing bonding things when we went to Babylon, got hosed, and picked up some random guy to fuck.” Brian had started looking at his decision’s more closely and had realized that, while that made him happy before, sometime around Justin’s bashing it had stopped being fun. He still wasn’t sure whether it was before or after the bashing, those days all seemed to run together.

“Wow, Bri, you really have changed.” Justin was a little shell-shocked and didn’t know what else to say.

“It feels good.” Brian smiled. He looked down at his watch and frowned. “I have to go. I promised Lindsay that I would take Gus to the zoo this afternoon so she and Mel can get some things done around the house.”

“Oh. Ok.” Justin was a little disappointed that Brian was leaving, he had really been enjoying the man’s company. “Well, maybe you can stop by again sometime soon?”

“For sure.” Brian nodded. “Maybe I could bring Gus over later?”

“That would be great. I love playing with him.” Justin walked Brian to the door. “Maybe you two could stay for dinner? I could try out my new grill.”

“Sounds good.” Brian smiled. It felt good to be friends with Justin again and he swore to himself that he wouldn’t let anything ruin that. He had to keep himself from leaning down and kissing the younger man. “See you in a few hours?”

“Yah.” Justin smiled and opened the door for Brian, needing him to leave for fear of kissing him.

* * *

“Hey, Sonny Boy.” Brian said as he lifted his son into his arms. “Don’t you look ultra cute today.” Gus was dressed in a pair of white corduroy overalls and a red t-shirt.

“Dadda! You cute too!” Gus exclaimed, giggling as his father nuzzled his neck.

“You ready to go to the zoo?”

“Zoo! Zoo!” Gus chanted, bouncing in his father’s arms.

“And then we’re gunna go over to Justin’s for dinner!” Gus’s eyes lit up at the mention of Justin’s name. Excepting his parents, Justin was his favorite person.

“Justin’s?” Melanie raised an eyebrow. “Are you two…?”

“Friends? Yes, we’re friends.” Brian said, purposely ignoring what he knew she was implying. He figured that everyone would automatically assume that it was more with Justin.

“Hmm…” Melanie hummed, trying to decide whether Brian was being honest or sneaky. “Linds, Brian is taking Gus to Justin’s for dinner.” She said as her wife walked down the stairs.

“Oh, that’s good.” Lindsay said calmly. “Gus loves going to Justin’s, don’t you Gus?”

“Jus'n!” Gus exclaimed.

“See?” Lindsay winked at Melanie before turning back to Brian to kiss him and Gus goodbye. “Have him back by 8?”

“Yes, mom.” Brian grabbed Gus’s bag and left the house.

“What do you think is going on with them?” Melanie asked as soon as the door was closed. Lindsay smiled.

“They’re friends.”

“That’s what he said!” Melanie exclaimed. “How long do you think it’ll be before they fuck?”

“Must you be so vulgar?” Lindsay asked before answering the question. “I doubt it’ll be any time soon. Brian is very serious about his rules about not having sex with his friends. Look at him and Michael. They’ve been friends forever and it’s never happened.”

“But with Justin it’s different!” Melanie was not usually the type to gossip, especially not when it came to Brian, but this was a special situation.

“I know.” Lindsay said as she walked to the kitchen.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Melanie asked as she nipped at her wife’s heels.

“Well, all I know is what I’m guessing.” Lindsay turned and smiled broadly, finally getting into the gossiping spirit. “But I know that they’re both working hard to get their lives on track, and this time it’s not about the other person directly.”

“How is that a good thing?” Melanie asked.

“When they’re both ready, it’ll just happen. I know the feelings are still there, they just have to be ready and trust each other again. Being friends will build that trust.” Lindsay explained. Melanie sat down and thought about the situation as Lindsay brewed some tea.

***

“Oh, hi Michael.” Justin said when he saw his partner in comics on the other side of the door. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to know if you’ve seen Brian recently.” Michael said as he walked into the apartment uninvited. He walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch.

“He was by here this morning.” Justin said carefully. 

“What, are you two back together or something?” Michael whipped his head around to face Justin.

“No. We’re trying the friends thing.” Justin sat down in the armchair. He wasn’t sure how to get Michael to leave.

“How long before you’re fuck buddies again?” Michael demanded. Justin didn’t like what he saw in Michael’s eyes.

“Never. Now, Michael, you need to go. I’m having people over for dinner tonight and I need to start cooking.” Justin stood and Michael followed suit.

“Who are you having over? Brian?” Michael asked as he was ushered towards the door.

“Yes. As a matter of fact, he’s bringing Gus over for a visit tonight.” Justin said tightly. “Goodnight, Michael.” He closed the door before Michael could speak again and breathed a sigh of relief.

***

“Are you ready to go see Justin, Gus?” Brian asked as he strapped his son into the car seat.

“Jus'n! Jus'n!” Gus started chanting as he pounded his fists in the air.

“You’re excited!” Brian smiled and kissed his son before walking around the other side of the car and strapping himself in.

On the drive over to Justin’s place, he wondered where he and Justin were going. He knew that, on his end anyway, all of the feelings were still there. He wasn’t sure if Justin still felt it, and was too afraid to ask.

“Dadda!! Awe we thewe yet?” Gus piped up from the backseat interrupting Brian’s thoughts.

“Soon, Sonny Boy.” Brian smiled. He loved the fact that Gus was so fond of Justin. Most of his friends scared the little boy to death, especially Michael. Gus cried whenever Michael was in the same room as him. Brian was never sure why.

When he got to Justin’s apartment, Brian unstrapped Gus from the car seat and carried him inside. Justin buzzed him in immediately. Upon hearing Justin’s voice over the intercom, Gus began to bounce and squeal in excitement.

“Hi.” Justin smiled, waiting at the open door when Brian and his young son arrived.

“Jus'n!” Gus dove out of his father’s arms and would have fallen if not for Justin’s quick reflexes. Justin caught the young boy and carried him inside.

“Hi, Bri.” Justin smiled. “Come on in. Dinner is almost ready.”

“Dinnew?” Gus asked, making a funny face that looked excited.

“Justin cooked us dinner, Gus. Isn’t that nice?” Brian took Gus from Justin’s arms and sat down at the kitchen table.

“Yeah! Nice!” Gus giggled.

~ Later that night ~

Gus was asleep in the bedroom. Brian and Justin had gotten caught up in conversation and Gus, tired of playing, had kissed each man goodnight and put himself to bed. Brian had called Lindsay and sweet talked her into letting him keep Gus for the night.

“Would you like some wine?” Justin offered.

“How did you buy wine?” Brian raised an eyebrow teasingly.

“Emmett brought it over as a housewarming gift.” Justin chuckled. “I can pour us some if you’d like.”

“That sounds good.” Brian couldn’t believe how comfortable he was sitting down with Justin and having a quiet evening in. It wasn’t something that he was used to and normally he would have been climbing the walls by now.

“Here you go.” Justin returned and handed Brian a wine glass. During the exchange, their fingers brushed and they looked up at each other suddenly. For several long minutes after that, the two sat in silence.

“This is weird.” Justin finally said, breaking the excruciating silence.

“What is?”

“Us. Being friends.” The younger man shrugged. “Without it being about fucking.”

“Justin, I don’t want you to think I’m your friend because I wanna sleep with you.” Brian had a strange, almost vulnerable look in his eyes.

“I don’t. I never did.” Justin smiled, trying his hardest to take that strange emotion from Brian’s eyes. It worked. Seeing Justin smile his patent “Sunshine” smile, brought a smile to Brian’s lips as well.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” Justin replied, sipping his wine.

“What happened with Ethan?” Brian felt awful when he suddenly saw Justin stiffen. He reached his hand out and pressed it to the younger man’s arm, in hopes of soothing him.

“Are you sure you want to know?” Justin’s voice was shaky.

“Yes.” Brian replied, though he wasn’t really sure. He was actually terrified of knowing the answer.

“He hit me.” Justin finally met Brian’s eyes and could see the instant rage that began to boil there.

“I’ll fucking kill that little---’’

Justin cut Brian off. “So I left him. He only hit me once and then I left.” Justin saw pride swell in Brian’s eyes.

“I’m proud of you, Justin. You are one strong fucking kid.” Brian reached out and touched Justin’s cheek. 

“I’m the most mature person you know.” Justin teased, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, I forgot.” Brian laughed and the seriousness of the conversation died. They were in teasing mode now, and that tended to lighten the conversation for the rest of the day.

***

~One Month Later~

“Justin! Get your ass in gear!” Brian called. He was sitting on Justin’s couch waiting for the younger man to be ready to go. The two of them were taking Gus to a Children’s Theatre production of Snow White that afternoon.

“Just a minute!” Justin called. 

“Gus will be waiting and he’ll think his Dadda forgot about him.” Brian grumbled. In reality, he knew that Gus wouldn’t be happy if Justin didn’t join them. Over the last month, Brian and Justin had taken Gus to some interesting children’s activity every Sunday.

“I’m ready!” Justin announced, entering the living room.

“You look exactly the same as when I got here a half hour ago.” Brian grumbled. “What the hell did you have to do?”

“For your information, I had to wash my face and brush my teeth and style my hair and change my outfit.” Justin stuck out his tongue. “You know, you were a lot more attentive when we were together.”

“That’s cuz I paid close attention to how many articles of clothing I had to remove at the end of the night. Don’t have to do that anymore.” Brian teased. 

The pair had been dancing around the sex issue all month. They saw each other on a fairly regular basis. Usually in the evenings, they would get together at Justin’s for dinner, or go to the diner and meet with the guys. After dinner, they always found something to do, but they never ended up in bed. 

Justin knew that everyone was speculating what was going on with the two of them and the truth was that Justin had no idea himself. He had never figured Brian for a just friends kind of guy, with anyone other than Micheal, that is. However, now the two of them were just that, platonic friends.

Brian was just as confused as Justin. He knew that neither of them were ready to, or even wanted to, fall back into their old routine. They were still feeling each other out and getting to know the other thoroughly. Brian was beginning to wonder if they were headed toward being more than friends, but he couldn’t really be sure.

“Stop trying to trick me into saying I want to get you in my pants and let’s go get your son.” Justin teased with a wink and they were off.

***

“Justin’s coming with him again today?” Melanie asked.

“Yup. As usual.” Lindsay tried to hide the smile that was waiting on her lips. She couldn’t have been more thrilled with how things were going with Brian and Justin.

“Are they back together yet?”

“Nope. Just friends.”

“What are you hiding?” Melanie asked with narrowed brows.

“Nothing.” Lindsay’s voice was a little bit too airy.

“Spill.”

“There’s nothing to tell but my suspicions.” Lindsay continued, “I know that they aren’t sleeping together. I’d know if they were. I can just tell with them. All I know is that Brian is content. Finally. And Justin is really happy too.”

“So why aren’t they moving it along? Liberty is buzzing with speculation.” Melanie said. “They aren’t even together and they’re Pittsburgh’s gay Cinderella and Prince Charming.”

“They need to take it at their own pace.” Lindsay shrugged. “If they rush it, they’ll just fall into the old make up break up pattern.”

“I’m sick of waiting.” Melanie grumbled. Lindsay grinned.

“We all are. Trust me.” Lindsay got a strange glint in her eyes and Melanie knew that she was plotting.

***

~Two Weeks Later~

Brian slid the door to the loft open, expecting Justin to be there. They were planning on going out to a new restaurant that Brian was doing a campaign for. Instead, he found Michea.

“Hey, Mikey. Long time, no see.”

“Yah.” Michael grumbled. “You’ve been busy.”

“Yes, I have.” Brian gestured for Michael to come in. He was hoping that his friend was over whatever it was that had caused them to argue last time.

“Justin’s not here?”

“No. But he’ll be here soon. We’re going out for dinner. You’re welcome to join us.” Brian offered, hoping that Michael would decline.

“I’m going to Woody’s with Ted and Emmett.” Michael said. “We’ve been missing you around the clubs.”

“How is everyone down at Babylon?”

“Liberty Avenue is all abuzz with rumors about you and the former King Of Babylon.” Micheal’s voice dripped with venom at the mention of Justin. Brian was sure he wasn’t going to like whatever Michael was going to say next, so he tried to lighten the conversation.

“Anything juicy?”

“Just that everyone sees you two together. At the diner. Out with Gus. Out at fancy restaurants.” Michael was standing stock still and staring Brian in the eyes.

“We’re friends.” Brian shrugged. “We have a good time and good conversation.”

“When did that little twink become worth talking to?” Michael demanded.

“Don’t push it, Michael. If someone was saying shit like this about you, I’d defend you. It’s the same when it comes to Justin.” Brian threatened.

“So that’s how it’s going to be now? Picking some trick over your friends!” Michael’s eyes were blazing and you could have cut the tension in the room with a knife.

“Justin is more my friend than you are. He actually likes to talk about what’s going on in my life.” Brian couldn’t believe that he was yelling at Michael the way he was.

“Don’t pretend like it was Justin’s amazing conversational skills that attracted you!”

“He’s the whole package. I became friends with him because I like him as a person. I became friends with you because you were pathetic and I felt sorry for you!” Brian exploded, suddenly fearing that he had gone too far and that his friendship with Michael was over.

“The whole package! Right! A smooth bubble butt and a nice cock!” Michael looked angry.

Brian pulled back, swung, and knocked Michael clear on his ass. He had never hit one of his friends, ever. He had promised himself when he was very young that he would never hit anyone out of anger, and he had just broken his promise.

“You broke my fucking nose, Brian!” Michael spat.

“Get out, Michael. Just get the fuck out.” Brian said, defeated, as he stumbled to his bedroom and laid down.

“Bri!” He heard Justin calling. And then, “Oh my god, Michael! Are you okay?” He shook his head and he knew he had finally done it. He had become Jack Kinney. And now there was no way that he could ever be with Justin again.

***

“Are you going to say anything?” Justin asked. He and Brian had been sitting on the couch staring at each other for over 20 minutes, since Justin had shipped Michael off and dragged Brian out of bed.

“What is there to say?” Brian asked. “I hit him. I got angry and I hit him.”

“What did he do?”

“What do you mean, what did he do?”

“Exactly that. What did he do?” Justin started tapping his foot.

“He just said some really stupid shit. There was no reason to hit him.” Brian’s voice lacked any emotion at all.

“Brian, don’t hand me that shit. I know you better than that. You wouldn’t have hit him if he didn’t provoke you.” Justin was trying to pull it out of him, but he still wasn’t sure whether he wanted to know the answer.

“He said that you were just a stupid twink with a smooth ass and a nice cock and that I’m only friends with you because I want to fuck you.” Brian grumbled, avoiding Justin’s eyes.

“You defended me.”

“And myself. Michael thinks he knows me so fucking well. It pisses me off. He thinks I’m still the person I was when I was sixteen, for Christ sakes!” Brian was starting to get angry again and started pacing.

“I understand.” Justin said softly. 

“Is he okay?”

“He has a bloody nose and a black eye. Nothing broken.” Justin stood and walked over to Brian. When Justin touched his arm, Brian flinched. “You’re not your father, Brian.”

Brian was about to exclaim that he wasn’t thinking that, but he knew that Justin knew better. He simply nodded and went back to the couch.

“Look at everything you’ve done, Brian! You’re successful in business, you’re an excellent father, you have an extended family that loves you, you quit the drinking and you quit the tricking. You’re a grown up now.” Justin took Brian’s hand. 

“Thank you for being here, Justin.” Brian turned and let Justin embrace him, feeling safe and comfortable in those arms.

“Anytime.” Justin whispered. “Just say the word.”

* * *

From that day on, whenever either of them were upset, they would call the other and simply say “The word” and the other was there for them. Time was passing quickly and soon Justin was finished with his second year of school.

The evening after his last exam, Brian was taking Justin out to celebrate. They hadn’t gone out to the clubs at all since Brian had quit drinking and tricking, so that night they planned their first trip to Babylon.

Justin went to Brian’s loft right after the exam and waited for the older man to get home. He felt weird being in the loft alone after having moved out over a year earlier. He was in the loft with Brian often, now that they were such close friends, but never alone.

After Brian came home and both of them were dressed and ready to go, they headed out of the loft, smiles on their faces. 

“Are you nervous?” Justin asked as they climbed in the elevator.

“A little. It’s gunna be weird.” Brian bit his lip. Suddenly, the elevator came to an abrupt stop. “What the fuck?” 

“It stopped.”

“Really, Sherlock?” 

Justin stuck out his tongue at the older man.

“Mature Justin.” Brian shook his head and started pressing buttons to try and get the elevator moving again. When nothing worked, the two started yelling for help, but no one came. “Fuck! We’re stuck in an elevator when we’re supposed to be celebrating.”

“Don’t worry.” Justin shrugged. “Let’s just sit down and wait for it to come back on. I got stuck in an elevator once. Me and Ethan were…” Justin stopped. He knew that Ethan was one subject that was off limits between himself and Brian.

Silence stretched out for several minutes as both men avoided looking at each other. Suddenly, Brian broke the silence with a startling confession. “I did love you.”

Justin looked at Brian’s eyes and sighed. “I know.”

“Why’d you leave?”

“You know why.” Justin couldn’t believe that they were having this conversation now. They had avoided the topic for six months.

“You thought you were low on my list of things that are important in my life.” Brian’s words were not a question.

“I started to wonder if I was on that list at all.” Justin said quietly. The conversation was bringing back a lot of memories for him.

“Why’d you question it?”

“I always thought that when two people were in love with each other, it became all moonlight and roses.”

“And I never gave you any of that.” Brian finished for Justin.

“You gave me all of it. I was just too blind to see it.” The younger man couldn’t look Brian in the eye. He still felt guilty about what had happened.

“Why Ethan?”

”He said the right things at the right time. There wasn’t really anything special about him. He just said what I needed to hear. He said that if I was his boyfriend, that things would be different. I guess I just wanted to believe that by different he meant better. And he was always there when something went wrong.”

“Translation: When Brian Kinney fucked up… yet again.” Brian’s voice betrayed his emotions, showed the sadness in his voice.

“That’s not true. We both fucked up, probably me more than you. I was so fucking proud that I couldn’t tell you when I needed more. I just wanted you to know.” Justin was trying to take as much blame as Brian would let him, he felt like it was all his fault anyway.

“I should have realized that you wanted more.”

“How could you have? I kept telling you that everything was fine.” Justin couldn’t believe that he and Brian were fighting over who was to blame for their break up.

“I almost brought you flowers. The day after your birthday.” Brian admitted, staring hard at the floor.

“You did?”

“I had them in my hand. But then I couldn’t. All my own words came rushing back to me. ‘Romance and monogamy are for breeders and dykes.” Brian took a deep breath. He was purging a lot and was starting to feel emotionally exhausted.

“That was one of your favorite things to say to me.”

Brian nodded solemnly. “Thing is, I was always lying. I never really believed what I was saying.”

“You didn’t?”

“Let me clarify what I meant by that. I still believe that straight people and lesbian’s tend to make sex okay by believing that they’re in love with everyone they sleep with. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t believe that love exists.” Justin raised an eyebrow. “I know what you’re thinking. I remember my little ‘I don’t believe in love’ speech just as well as you do.”

“So if you believe in it, how come it was so hard to admit that you loved me?” Justin asked quietly.

“I had been having sex without love for so long, my whole life actually, that I didn’t know how to balance the two. I love Lindsay and Gus, and I still love Michael despite all his bullshit, but I don’t have sex with any of them.” Brian took a deep breath, deciding that he wasn’t going to go into it any further.

“Where is all this coming from?” Justin asked.

“Without the distraction of my old friend Jim Bean, poppers, and multiple visits to the backroom, I’ve had some time to think.” Brian admitted. “My head has been in a weird place the last few months.”

“But why are you suddenly letting your guard down and admitting all this to me?” Justin asked with wide eyes.

“I trust you.”

“I broke your heart.”

“No. You just took it with you when you left.” Brian said quietly.

“Bri—’’ Justin began, but he never got a chance to say what he was about to because the elevator started again and moments later, they were on the ground floor.

“Time for Babylon?” Brian asked, hoping that Justin would leave their conversation in the elevator.

“Yah.” Justin said, relieved that he didn’t have to reply to what Brian said. The two headed off to Babylon to shake it up with the beautiful boys on the dance floor.

***

Lindsay grinned as she watched the two men, the mixture of light and dark, walk towards the Jeep and climb it. “This is working out perfectly.” She smiled and looked down at the key in her hand.

Who’d ‘ve thought you’d be so handy? Lindsay thought to herself as she walked down the block and around the corner to her car, after waiting in the shadows until the Jeep disappeared from sight. A little pull on a cord and no more elevator. Brian and Justin should be on their way now.

***

Weeks passed and the summer grew hotter. Brian and Justin stayed in their friend routine, still getting together most evenings and still taking Gus out every Sunday. They never spoke about the talk they had in the elevator, but it was always on their minds.

One night, when the summer heat was making Justin’s apartment feel like an oven, he went over to the loft and he and Brian rented a movie. Brian had a bad day at work so they rented a funny movie, Dogma. Justin had suggested Chasing Amy, to which Brian replied “Nu uh… Lesbians turning straight? No way!!”

As the movie wore on, Brian shifted on the couch and was soon lying with his head in Justin’s lap and his eyes closed. It didn’t take long for Justin to start stroking the older man’s hair. 

“Mmmmm.” Brian purred. “I forgot how nice it feels when you do that.”

“You always loved when I did this.” Justin said. Brian sat up slowly, Justin’s hand still in his hair, and looked into Justin’s eyes.

“I’ve missed all this.”

“All what?”

“Being this close to you. Touching you.” Brian reached out and stroked Justin’s cheek. “That’s what I think about when I’m alone in bed at night.”

“Touching me?” Justin whispered, wanting desperately to close the small gap between their faces and kiss Brian’s full lips.

“Yah.” Brian leaned in a little closer. “Justin…” Before he could finish what he was about to say, Brian felt Justin capture his lips and soon they were kissing passionately.

“Oh, God, Brian!” Justin moaned into the other man’s mouth. He had never felt as good as he did at that moment. They lay there, on the couch, kissing for what seemed like hours until the movie turned itself off and they heard Jay Leno’s voice on the TV.

“Justin.” Brian said pulling away. “We should stop.”

“Stop?” Justin asked, upset.

“I don’t want us to do something we’ll regret.” Brian couldn’t believe that he was turning down a very willing Justin.

“Whatever.” Justin shook his head and stood. “Call me tomorrow.”

“Justin! Don’t be mad!” Brian called as Justin left the loft without looking back. “I just don’t want to ruin this…” He lay back on the couch and stared at the ceiling.

***

“Ring, dammit! Ring!” Justin willed his phone to ring. Brian hadn’t called him yet and he was terrified that he had ruined everything by insisting that they sleep together and by getting mad when Brian said no.

Suddenly, the phone rang and Justin jumped. He tried for a couple of seconds to steady his breathing before picking it up. “Hello?”

“Hi, Sweetie!” Lindsay’s voice chimed through the phone and into Justin’s ear. “Would you like to join us for dinner tonight?”

“Oh… um… Sure.” Justin said, wishing that he could just stay home and wait for the phone to ring.

“How’s six?” Lindsay suggested.

“Sounds good.” Justin sighed as he hung up the phone. “Guess he can just leave a message… If I didn’t fuck everything up.”

Meanwhile… At the Muncher’s House…

“Justin’s coming at 6. Bri will be here at 5.” Lindsay grinned. “Purrfect!” She did a little dance in the living room.

“Why do you need to get them both here?” Melanie asked, pulling Lindsay down onto her lap.

“I talked to Brian earlier today and he said that he feels like he screwed everything up with Justin and that he’s worried that they won’t even be friends anymore. We need to get them talking again.” Lindsay spoke quickly.

“What happened to ‘It’ll happen in their own time’?” Melanie asked raising an eyebrow.

“It’s been months!” Lindsay exclaimed. “They’ve been just friends since right after Christmas and I know they both want more.”

“And you’re on a mission.” Melanie nodded her head. “I won’t get in the way. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“We just have to get them talking.” Lindsay smiled. “Then everything will work out.”

“Ok. You’re the boss.” Melanie smiled.

***

“And how are my favorite munchers this evening?” Brian asked as he walked into the house.

“We’re great, Bri. And how are you?” Lindsay said with a smile. Brian narrowed his brows at the overly jovial couple.

“What are you up to?”

“What do you mean?” Lindsay asked with mock innocence. 

“How much do you need?” Brian asked, reaching for his checkbook.

“This isn’t about money, Brian.” Melanie got a little ticked at Brian’s assumption, but quickly realized that he was right. Most times they acted like this they did want something from him.

“How odd.” Brian looked around. “Where’s my kid?”

“Upstairs playing.” Melanie said. “Come on up. Linds has to finish up cooking anyways.”

An hour later, Brian was sitting in the living room reading Gus a story when the doorbell rang. He looked at Melanie suspiciously, but continued to read. When he heard the familiar voice say, “I brought some dessert,” he stood.

“Well, well, well…” Brian glared at Lindsay. “Not up to anything, eh?”

“Hi, Brian.” Justin said, looking uncomfortable.

“Justin.” Brian nodded. “Lindsay, can I talk to you for a second in the kitchen?” Without waiting for an answer, Brian grabbed the mother of his child’s arm and led her to the kitchen.

“What’s wrong, Bri?”

“What’s with this setup. I told you things were weird between me and Justin right now!” Brian was angry.

“I just figured that if you two could talk on neutral ground, that you could work it out.” Lindsay said with exasperation. “And that maybe you two would quit it with this friendship thing and be what you both want to be. A couple!”

“How do you know we both want that?” Brian asked, still annoyed but far less angry.

“I talk to you both. I see you together. It’s not hard to figure out.” Lindsay shook her head. “What are you two so fucking afraid of?”

“We’re afraid of the last time, Linds.” Brian sat down at the table. “I don’t know if I can do that again.”

“For him, isn’t it worth a try?”

“What if… What if he doesn’t want to?”

“You’ll never know unless you try. No fear, no regret.” Lindsay sat herself down on his lap. “I know that you still have that in you. You’ve shown it more in the last year than ever.”

“Thanks, Linds.” Brian wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. “Thanks for everything.”

Meanwhile, in the living room…

“He hates me.” Justin said, sitting down on the couch next to Melanie. “I fucked up bad this time.”

“What happened?” Melanie asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“I kissed him. Last night we were watching a movie and we ended up cuddling. And then I kissed him. For the first time ever, he said no.” Justin shook his head and brushed away a tear. “I freaked and ran out.”

“Why did he stop?”

“He… he doesn’t want me anymore, Mel. I turned into Michael. I’ve become the pitiful best friend who’s in love with Brian.” Justin covered his face with his hands.

“There’s one major difference.” Brian said from the doorway. Justin looked up and brushed his tears away swiftly. “I love you, too.” Brian strode over to the couch and pulled Justin into his arms. “I love you, baby.”

“Oh, Brian!” Justin held the older man close as they embraced. “I love you so much.”

Lindsay stood in the doorway and watched the couple embrace, smiling at her work. Well, God, I think I just earned Sainthood… Cause I just performed a miracle.

* * *

Two Years Later...

Justin nearly fell to his knees when he lifted the big heavy box into his arms. “Oh, gawd!” He exclaimed. “Bri! A little help here?”

“You’re such a wimp!” Brian laughed and put down the tape gun. He walked over and lifted the box into his arms, carrying it to the door, trying not to wince at the weight.

“Least I’m not a wimp lover!” Justin chuckled and stuck out his tongue.

“Put that tongue back in your mouth, numbnuts. Your last chance to stick out your tongue when not engaging in sexual acts… with me… Was last week.” Brian put the box down and walked back towards the box he had been taping up.

“Last week?” Justin asked.

“Graduation. Once you graduate, it makes you a real live adult.” Brian winked. “Adult don’t stick out their tongues.”

“Loser.” Justin shook his head. “Remind me again why I’m actually marrying such a loser?”

“Cause you love me passionately and want to bear my children?”

“I do love you… but the whole children thing might be a little difficult. We’ll leave that to Linds.” Justin chuckled. Brian laughed and went back to packing boxes.

“How did you accumulate all this shit?” Brian asked looking at the huge box full of kitchenware.

“Well, I’ve been living on my own for like three years now… I did need to eat in that time.” Justin laughed. “And, as I recall, a lot of those things were gifts from you because pizza and beer wasn’t an option when you came over for dinner.”

“What the hell was I thinking?” Brian asked as he started pulling even more things out of the cupboards. “What are we going to do with two grills, two juicers, two cappuccino machines, and two water coolers?”

“Uhhh… Give them to Linds and Mel as an anniversary gift?” Justin suggested.

“Their anniversary was a couple of months ago.”

“Uhhh… How about we give them to Gus as a birthday present?” Justin giggled when he saw the look on Brian’s face.

“Uh huh… Just what every five year old needs!!” Brian shook his head. “I know. We’ll give the water cooler to Deb, the juicer to Ted, the Cap machine to Emmett, and the grill to Linds and Mel. Linds is gunna need some low fat meals, she’s ballooning up like a blimp.”

“Pregnant women tend to do that, sweetie.” Justin smiled, walked over, and put his arms around Brian. “But just think, soon Gus will have a brother and you’ll be a father of two!”

“Ugh!!” Brian fanned himself dramatically. “What am I gunna say when I try to pick up tricks? Hi, I’m a 35 year old father of two?”

“Not 35 yet.” Justin laughed. “And what tricks are you saying this to?”

“You’re the only trick for me.” Brian said in a goofy voice.

“Always?”

“Always.” Brian kissed the tip of Justin’s nose. “Now, let’s get this shit packed up. We still have to pack up the loft and we get the keys to the new house in a week.”

“And then we have to unpack everything.” Justin reminded him.

“You’re right. Let’s take a break!” Suddenly, Brian swooped Justin into his arms and carried him to the bedroom.

“Now, this is much more fun that packing!” Justin giggled as Brian dropped him on the bed. 

“You can say that again.” Brian said before diving, superhero style, onto the bed with his lover.


End file.
